MAINE PUBLIC • September 23, 2022
The North Woods already remove at least 75% of the state's annual carbon emissions. Research suggests there is the potential to sequester and store even more with improved forest management, conservation and expanded markets for wood. Alec Giffen, a forest scientist at the New England Forestry Foundation and former director of the Maine Forest Service, said the time has come to pay landowners for the public benefits they provide. But Dr. William Moomaw, a climate scientist and professor at Tufts University, is skeptical. A recent report called for setting aside 30-50% of lands, waters and oceans to have a functioning climate system. “Which forests are going to be our production forests, and which are going to provide us with carbon removal, water quality and quantity and all of the recreational benefits?" The New England Forestry Foundation will have the chance to demonstrate how both can be done. NEFF and partners were awarded a $30 million grant for a climate pilot project on 100,000 acres.